Botswana intensifies FMD controls as outbreaks threaten livestock trade

Botswana steps up FMD response amid regional outbreaks

Botswana is intensifying its efforts to contain foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), as outbreaks across southern Africa raise concerns for animal health and livestock trade in the region. Minister of Lands and Agriculture Dr Edwin Dikoloti outlined the measures in the Botswana Parliament, saying the disease had placed significant pressure on rural livelihoods, the livestock industry and the wider economy.

FMD is a highly contagious disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals and is endemic to much of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Dikoloti said outbreaks had been recorded in at least seven SADC countries over the past decade, including Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Botswana has historically managed to control the disease and has secured World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) recognition for zones free from FMD without vaccination. "Despite these immense challenges, Botswana has remained one of the few countries in the region that has been able to control the disease and eventually achieve the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) status of a country with zones that are free from FMD without vaccination," Dikoloti said.

He attributed Botswana's previous success to sustained investment in human resources, infrastructure and disease-control measures, which helped the country maintain access to lucrative export markets.

Outbreak patterns and containment efforts

Historically, FMD has been concentrated in northern Botswana, particularly the Ngamiland region, where contact between cattle and African buffalo populations in the Chobe National Park has contributed to outbreaks. Sporadic outbreaks have also occurred in Zones 3, 6 and 7 along the Zimbabwean border, which Dikoloti attributed largely to illegal cross-border movement of livestock and people.

Outbreaks in South Africa since 2023 have increased the risk of the disease entering southern Botswana, along a shared border of about 2,000 kilometres. To address this, Botswana constructed a 187-kilometre cordon fence from Tlhareseleele village to Banyana farms, but repeated breaches occurred.

During 2026, Botswana recorded four FMD SAT1 outbreaks in Zone 6b, Zone 3c-Maitengwe, Zone 11, and Zone 13. Emergency mass vaccination suppressed outbreaks in Zones 3c-Maitengwe and 6b, which have been formally closed with WOAH. However, active transmission remains in parts of Zones 11 and 13, particularly around Phitshane-Molopo, Tshidilamolomo, and Banyana farms.

The government is establishing a Containment Zone with a 400-kilometre northern boundary, expected to be completed by the end of August. Botswana plans to approach WOAH for Containment Zone recognition to unlock trade.

Trade impacts and recovery plan

Movement restrictions have disrupted livestock exports to the European Union and China, affecting export revenues at the Botswana Meat Commission. The recovery plan includes repair of over 1,152 kilometres of fences, realignment of zones, advanced mapping, and strengthened traceability.

Botswana is also working with South Africa through the Binational Commission on a joint biosecurity plan and advocating for a SADC FMD Vaccine Antigen Bank. The country has provided vaccine assistance to Zimbabwe and Lesotho, and is working with German experts through the AU-Germany Agricultural Policy Dialogue. The government is developing a national beef brand 'Brand Botswana Beef'.

Auxiliary cooperation and vaccine donations

In a related development, Botswana donated 100,000 doses of FMD vaccine to Lesotho. Handing over the vaccines produced by the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) in Maseru, Minister Dikoloti described the donation as a demonstration of friendship, solidarity and practical cooperation between Botswana and Lesotho. The support followed commitments made under the Botswana-Lesotho Binational Commission and reflected the two countries' shared interest in protecting livelihoods, food security and economic development.

FMD remains a major threat to livestock production and trade because outbreaks can disrupt livestock movement, restrict market access and place pressure on farmers and veterinary services. Dikoloti said Botswana considered it necessary to support Lesotho in its efforts to control and manage the disease.

The minister highlighted the role of BVI, describing it as a strategic institution in Botswana and Africa's livestock and animal health sector. Over the years, BVI has supported Botswana's national livestock disease control programmes and developed into a regional and international supplier of veterinary vaccines, particularly those used to combat FMD.

However, Dikoloti cautioned that vaccines alone were not sufficient to control FMD. Effective vaccination, he said, needed to be supported by proper planning, correct vaccine storage, cold-chain management, appropriate administration, disease surveillance, livestock movement controls and sustained farmer awareness. To enhance the impact of the donation, BVI is also providing technical support through a vaccine handling and administration workshop for veterinary officials in Lesotho.

Regional coordination and South Africa's largest-ever outbreak

Meanwhile, South Africa is dealing with what its Agriculture Minister Willem Abraham Stephanus Aucamp described as the country's largest-ever FMD outbreak, but the situation is increasingly being brought under control through an accelerated vaccination programme and closer cooperation with neighbouring countries. Speaking at the Agri Limpopo Congress in Modimolle, Aucamp said South Africa had decided to vaccinate its entire cattle herd and had significantly increased the importation and distribution of FMD vaccines.

"We have from South Africa's side already provided 50,000 doses or vaccines to Namibia, Eswatini as well as Lesotho so that they can be prepared should there be outbreaks, they can immediately counter them," he said.

South Africa has imported 13.5 million vaccine doses over the past year and a half, while a further 10 to 12 million doses are expected to be brought into the country during the two-month period ending in August. The increased availability of vaccines, faster distribution and allowing farmers to vaccinate their own cattle have helped accelerate the response.

"We have increased the rate in which vaccines are imported, we've increased the rate in which it's distributed and by farmers vaccinating themselves, we've increased that as well," Aucamp said.

He said SADC countries faced similar challenges because of the presence of wildlife, particularly buffalo, which can carry FMD. "We are going to face the same problem. We are facing the same problem and we need to collaborate on that," he said.

Namibia's response and truck restrictions

For Namibia, the regional disease threat remains a concern for its livestock sector. Restrictions on livestock trucks returning from South Africa prevent them from carrying backloads into Namibia, which the Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO) said placed considerable financial pressure on transporters, producers and the wider livestock value chain.

Efforts are under way to establish a disinfection system for livestock trucks, with AfriCompliance contracted to evaluate suitable facilities. The evaluation is nearing completion, with accreditation expected to take a further two to three weeks. The proposed disinfection system is aligned with WOAH standards, and consultations with Namibia's Directorate of Veterinary Services have been positive, according to the LPO.

Aucamp also said South Africa was preparing for El Niño and investing in drought-resistant seeds, as the intensifying climate pattern puts additional pressure on rangelands and water resources across the region.